


New

by Runie (Runic)



Series: "We Do Not Work at a Strip Club" [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Family, Intersex Loki, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 22:30:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1916322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki and Thor may have officially moved in together, but something about the whole situation has Loki incredibly upset. If Thor doesn’t intervene soon, someone may very well take a frying pan to Loki’s face to fix the problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New

Fandral starts when something hits his back, only to relax a moment later when Darcy’s distinctive groan reaches his ears. “Loki giving you a hard time?” he coos.

Darcy lets out another longer, and louder, groan. “He’s always horrible, but it’s like someone amped up his settings to max tonight. Woe to anyone who sends food back tonight.”

“That bad, huh?” Fandral turns around so he can hug Darcy, rubbing her back soothingly. “Maybe he’s just having a bad day? Take it easy on him, and maybe he’ll lighten up through service.”

“Doubtful,” Darcy mutters into his chest.

/

Loki does not lighten up. If anything, he gets worse the longer it goes on. They’ve only been open for four hours, but Fandral is ready to take a frying pan to Loki’s face if he does not lay off soon. The amount of shit he's giving everyone tonight is absolutely ridiculous.

Sif finally does the sensible thing, which, while not as satisfying as a frying pan to the face, is better for everyone in the long run: she talks to Thor. Fandral watches as Thor’s shoulders slump and he shakes his head. He explains something to Sif, but Fandral can’t hear them over the crowd, and after a moment Sif launches into her own explanation. Thor holds his hands up in surrender after a few seconds, and heads back to the kitchen.

Fandral isn’t sure if he should breathe a sigh of relief or run for the hills. Loki is either going to kill Thor or simply refuse to talk to anyone the rest of the night, making their job harder if not less stressful considering he won’t be telling them he’ll rip their arms off.

“What’s going on?” he asks Sif as she walks over to join him by the bar, Volstagg sliding over to listen in as well.

“He misses his kid,” Sif answers. “You know how Sleip started first grade this week?”

“Yeah.”

“Loki took him and picked him up from school Monday and Tuesday, and dropped him off again Wednesday morning, but because of the schedule he hasn’t been able to see Sleip at all today.”

“Ah, that explains it.” Volstagg nods and goes back to his customers.

They all know how fond Loki is of Sleip, and yeah, Fandral does feel bad that he was so mad before, but they need to be able to work without wanting to kill one another. Not that he blames Loki, the guy always seems to have trouble coping with his feelings in a positive way.

“What is Thor going to do?”

“He’s going to call Hogun and see if he’ll come in for the night, and send Loki home.”

“He’s not going to be able to do that every night though.” Fandral wishes he could though. Sleipnir is a great kid, and he deserves to have his dad tuck him in at night.

Sif shakes her head. “No. This is just for tonight. Loki will pull himself together. I just think tonight it hit him how many things are changing in his life. I mean, he and Thor made their move in official and Loki gave up his apartment.”

“They did? I heard they were doing the trial run, but not that it had ended.” Fandral pouts, feeling a little left out.

Sif rolls her eyes at him. “Yeah, they were keeping it quiet because Loki didn’t want a big deal being made out of it when they were trying to get Sleip into his new school. I think it’ll all be better once Sleip has made some friends, and Loki knows he won’t be lonely there.”

“He’ll be fine. Sleip is a charmer, much like myself.” Fandral flashes Sif his trademark grin as he goes off to check on his tables.

/

“Mumma!” Loki feels relief wash over him as Sleipnir runs into his arms. He sweeps Sleipnir up, and places a kiss on his son’s cheek, nearly crying at the bright enthusiasm in Sleipnir’s eyes. “I thought Mumma had to work tonight.”

“I did,” Loki answers, holding Sleipnir as close as possible. “But Thor missed you so much, he sent me to check on you.”

Sleipnir giggles as he hugs Loki back. “I miss Thor too, Mumma.” He adds in a softer whisper a moment later, “I missed Mumma more.”

Loki smiles, but he knows it does not reach his eyes. “I know, Sleip. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Mumma,” Sleipnir tries to reassure him. “I know you wouldn’ be gone so much if you didn’ have to.”

“All right,” Fárbauti interrupts, trying to sound stern. There is a smile across her face however that tells both son and grandson they are in no danger of trouble. “It is way past your bedtime, young man.”

“But Mumma!” Sleipnir clings to Loki’s neck and pouts, trying to eke out a few more minutes before he has to go to sleep.

“Mumma can tuck you in, but you need your sleep.”

“She’s right, Sleip.” Loki kisses Sleipnir’s cheek again as he whines. His protests grow louder as Loki carries him upstairs, but Loki is immune to such things by now. “Sleipnir!” he admonishes when Sleipnir lets go of his shoulders and falls backwards. “You know that isn’t going to work.”

Sleipnir huffs as he is placed into bed, but reaches up to hug his short arms around Loki’s neck. “I love you, Mumma.”

“I love you too, pikkuinen.” Loki brushes Sleipnir’s hair back out of his eyes before tucking his son in. “Goodnight, Sleipnir.”

“Goodnight, Mumma.”

.

The moment Loki’s foot leaves the last step, Laufey, who up until this point has been quiet about Loki’s presence, clicks his tongue and says, “Unprofessional.”

Loki whirls around to glare at his father. “Says the man who could never stop being professional long enough to show his family any sort of affection!”

Laufey stands, his temper flaring in his eyes, but before either one can do anything, Fárbauti steps between them. “Enough! You have had this argument too many times before, I will not listen to it again.”

“Then leave,” Laufey commands.

“Do not speak to her like that!”

“You do not order me around, whelp.” Laufey is not yelling, but it does not make him any less terrifying. “You accuse me of having no love for this family without even thinking about what I have given up for it. I did not spend five years in the horrible shit hole of a country just for you to throw it back in my face.”

“Laufey!”

Loki continues to glare at his father, but his words make no sense. “What do you mean?”

“Laufey, we said we’d wait to tell him,” Fárbauti pleads, placing a hand on her husband’s arm.

“When are we going to tell him then?” Laufey demands, his voice softening ever so slightly when his attention is focused on Fárbauti. “We are moving back to Helsinki.”

Loki does nothing to stop his jaw from dropping.

“We meant to go back as soon as _Jotunheim_ was up and running, but when you came to us, we extended our stay,” Fárbauti explains.

Loki swallows past the lump in his throat a few times before he is actually able to speak again. “You didn’t have to do that,” he finally manages to whisper.

“Of course we did,” Fárbauti starts.

“You’re our son,” Laufey finishes for her. “We wanted you and Sleipnir to have a home, to be safe. We couldn’t leave without knowing that our son and grandson would be able to maintain a roof over their heads and have food on the table every night.”

“But you have that now.” Fárbauti moves from Laufey’s side to Loki’s, cradling her son’s cheek in her calloused hand. “You’re happy and secure, and it’s all we ever wanted for you. You’ll be fine on your own, Loki. You don’t need us anymore.”

“Not true,” Loki protests, leaning into his mother’s touch and feeling oh so much like a child again. “I’ll always need you. Who’s going to look after Sleipnir when I’m at _Valhalla_?” he points out, searching for anything that will keep them here.

“You’ll find someone. And Hela has decided she needs some worldly experience, so she will be coming over soon to work in _Jotunheim_. She’s convinced Jor and Fenrir they should come see America with her as well. All my grandchildren are leaving me.” Fárbauti pouts at the realization, and Loki is reminded how much he hates seeing her sorrowful. “Anyways, they’ll help look out for you and Sleipnir.”

“Or more likely, I’ll end up looking after niece and nephews as they try to take over the country,” Loki corrects.

“Probably,” Laufey agrees.

“Stop it.” Fárbauti rolls her eyes at them both. “We’re going back during Sleipnir’s spring break, so if you’d like, you can come back with us.”

Loki feels a sudden wave of fear wash over him before he quashes it down. “I’ll have to think about it.”

Fárbauti nods. “Of course. There is still quite some time, so you need not worry about anything yet. We will continue looking after Sleipnir, just as we arranged.”

“Thank you.”

Loki doesn’t fight his mother when she hugs him close.

/

Thor is not sure what to expect when he sees the kitchen light on, but the last thing he wants right now is a fight. Hogun is a good cook, but he is not familiar with the new systems that Loki and Jane put in place, so while the night had not been a disaster, it had wiped him out completely. He simply had no energy for a fight.

“Loki, I-” he states as he walks into the kitchen, only to be cut off immediately by Loki’s finger pressing against his lips.

“I love you.”

Thor wraps his arms around Loki’s waist and pulls him close. “I take it we’re not fighting then?”

“Well, if you don’t tell me you love me too, I might get a little angry.” There is something about Loki, something completely different from what Thor has seen before. All the time he has known Loki, it was like Loki resisted being happy, but right now, at four in the morning after a too long day filled with stress and worry, that is exactly the opposite of what Loki is doing. He is no longer running away from the things that can give him joy.

“So demanding,” Thor jokes, before leaning down to kiss Loki’s soft, warm, absolutely perfect lips. “But I love you anyways.”


End file.
